DAPL Fife

06/04/2026

We said good bye to two of our longest-serving counsellors in March.

Penny is retiring however, I am pleased to announce that she is returning as a volunteer counsellor at our Kirkcaldy office.

Arlene has decided to take a long-term break from volunteering and we thank her for her service and wish her the best in her future endeavors

02/04/2026

We are pleased to announce that DAPL has been re-commissioned to deliver two specialised school-based therapeutic services across Fife from April 1, 2026, through 2029:

- Secondary School Counselling: 1:1 psychotherapeutic support for pupils experiencing emotional distress that impacts educational engagement.
- Primary school Art Therapy: Support for pupils in P5–P7 to build resilience and maintain their connection to learning.

DAPL is one of seven partners selected to support the mental well-being of Fife's young people.

12/03/2026

For over 30 years, we have been providing psychological therapy within the Fife community to support individuals affected by substance addiction.

In addition to our core therapeutic services, we are proud to offer placement opportunities for students and volunteering roles for individuals who have lived experience and have maintained a stable recovery for at least two years. We also provide excellent opportunities for qualified counsellors to build their practice hours; in return, we offer free supervision and reimbursement for travel expenses.

I encourage you to visit our website at www.dapl.net to learn more about our services and how to get involved. Please feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions.

04/03/2026

Please find a research request external to SWAN from a researcher at Abertay University:

The research will look into access to autism and ADHD assessments, and see how this can impact individuals wellbeing. You can take part if you're aged 16 or over and either self identify or have a formal diagnosis of autism and/or ADHD.
If you'd like to get involved, you can either click this link: https://abertay.fra1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0qsdeDPCLX780kK or email the researcher Patricia here: 2206908@uad.ac.uk

Image description: Poster with the heading “Participants Wanted” invites individuals to take part in a final year research project about access to Autism and ADHD assessment and diagnosis, noting that experiences vary widely and may impact wellbeing and quality of life.
A section titled “Why Take Part?” explains that participants can help improve understanding of diagnostic pathways and their impact on everyday life.
Under “What Does Participation Involve?” it states that participation consists of an anonymous online survey, completed in the participant’s own time, taking 10–15 minutes, with no identifying information collected.
The “Who Can Take Part?” section states that participants must be aged 16 years or over and have a formal or informal diagnosis, or self-identification, of Autism, ADHD, or both Autism and ADHD.
The poster includes a survey link (a Qualtrics URL hosted by Abertay University), identifies the researcher as Patricia Dow (email: 2206908@uad.ac.uk), and notes Abertay University ethics approval reference EMS10824.

04/03/2026

It’s important to us that those most affected by drug-related harms have a voice in discussions about policy, practice and solutions – so we’re pleased to be able to offer a small number of free places at our Stop The Deaths conference.

To be eligible for a fully funded place, you must have living or lived experience of substance use. Priority will be given to people with no income.

Applications are now open until 27 March at 5pm 👇

https://buff.ly/dW8mTkc

23/02/2026

Attending the NHS MI Winter School training today.
At DAPL, we are committed to continuous professional development to ensure we provide the most effective counselling services possible to the communities of Fife. Participating in this prestigious program is a key part of our effort to enhance our clinical skills and better support our adult and recovery services.

19/02/2026

Great opportunity for those with lived experience of mental health services to help shape and improve future support -event is free to attend and details of how to register are in the poster below

Fife Health and Social Care Partnership

13/02/2026

DAPL’s coordinator Susan has spent the day in Edinburgh with Lewis, Paula and Chelsea from the Scottish Drugs Forum traineeship team interviewing candidates for the 2026 -SVQ2 trainee programme. Exciting times ahead for some people 🙌
DAPL offers placement opportunities to psychology students, social work students, counselling students, recovery volunteers, art therapy students and SDF traineeship students.

13/02/2026

Could you help us help people who may be sleeping rough? It’s easier than you think. You simply let us know where and when you may have seen someone rough sleeping and our teams will then pay a visit to offer support and assistance to the individual.
It only takes a minute. Visit www.fife.gov.uk/roughsleepingsurvey. You could help change someone’s life.

11/02/2026

We are sharing a couple of photos of our counsellors Penny and Kerry at the "Love Yourself" event held for the students and staff at the University of Dundee Kirkcaldy campus today.

The event was really successful, and we had a large number of students visit our stall finding out about our counselling service There was also a great deal of interest in the drug and alcohol boxes, particularly from students who have previously completed or are currently undertaking placements within NHS Fife Addiction Services.

06/02/2026

We support the aims of Scottish Drugs Forum manifesto

Today we are sharing our manifesto for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. It sets out what must change to deliver the bold, sustained, transformational change that Scotland urgently needs.

Read our full manifesto now: https://buff.ly/RvUVpzp